as Compared with Artificial Manures. 
123 
Tliei'6 is still, however, a very large field of inquiry open to such 
as take an interest in these matters. I have merely glanced at 
a few points which may interest some who do not care to go 
into minute chemical questions of an elaborate kind. 
It can scarcely be expected that any one could be very 
successful with artificial manui-es, unless he knew a good deal 
about them. He must know what kinds of manures are required 
for different crops, how to get the manures genuine at the 
smallest cost, and then learn how to apply them, in proper 
quantities, in a proper manner, and at the proper time. 
Surely manure dealers of a certain class who offer phosphates 
at 1?. a ton have not much belief in the wisdom of the farmer. 
There are great quantities of what are called artificial manures 
offered to farmers, which are almost worthless. No one, there- 
fore, should blindly buy what he knows nothing about. 
A hundred years ago there were none of the manures com- 
monly used now. At that time, if the land was to be enriched, 
there was scarcely any alternative but to make dung — rich dung 
— b}^ consuming the chief produce of the farm, with the addition 
of oil-cake, corn, &c. At the present day we have artificial 
manures of every kind, and the great object of this paper is to 
show without prejudice, by evidence, under certain circumstances, 
whether it is more profitable to make dung or buy manure. 
From the annals of the Board of Agriculture I have found 
some records of fattening cattle and sheep at Wobui-n nearly a 
century ago. These experiments, however, were not carried out 
so completely as the Woburn experiments now are. One trial 
at Woburn in 1797 was for the object of comparing the rate of 
increase of seven different breeds of oxen. The trial was con- 
tinued for about 55 weeks. The beasts were weighed at the 
commencement and finish of the trial. Very little artificial 
food was given, only about 450 lbs. of oil-cake to each beast ; 
about the same weight of hay, and nearly 30 cwt. of turnips. 
The rate of increase was very small, only 4 lbs. per week on 
an average. The greatest increase of the lot was a Devon that 
made an increase of 6 lbs. a week. Some Herefords did not 
increase half as much. To say the least of it, such an account 
as this proved nothing but that all the beasts throve very badly 
indeed, and must have had short rations during some periods of 
the trial. 
Another account gives the amount and kinds of food consumed 
by an ox during two months : — 
£ s. (1. 
3,120 lbs. turnips, at 4s. per ton , . , , 0 5 G 
232 cakes at 12/. a tliousand 2 15 8 
775 lbs. of hay at 5/. per ton 1 14 6 
4 15 8 
